Production of Draped Bust dollars dated 1803 continued the trend of reduced
mintages, and ultimately used 6 known different obverse dies and only 3 known
different reverse dies. These combined to create 6 different individual
die varieties. The Redbook categorizes these based on the appearance of the
numeral “3” in the date - being either a “Small 3” lacking an upper serif and
displaying a smaller lower loop, or a “Large 3” featuring a prominent upper serif
and a distinctly larger lower loop. Approximately 1,500 specimens remain
of all of the Small 3 dollar varieties combined; 1,600 specimens remain of the
single Large 3 dollar variety. Beyond these Redbook categorizations, collectors also recognize “wide date”
and “close date” varieties of the 1803 Small 3 dollar.